SINGAPORE: When a netizen recently asked fellow Reddit users to weigh in on whether “the opposition would stand a better chance if they are united as one,” many commenters appear to believe that it would be to the advantage of The Workers’ Party, the only opposition party to have won seats in the General Election of 2020, to continue to stand apart.
u/LawlessWrong posted on r/SingaporeRaw on Tuesday (June 6) that he was not just referring to the alliance formed by People’s Voice, Reform Party, People’s Power Party, and the Democratic Progressive Party under the leadership of Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Mr Lim Tean, but also the more prominent parties headed by Mr Pritam Singh (WP), Mr Leong Mun Wai (Progress Singapore Party), and Dr Chee Soon Juan (Singapore Democratic Party) as well.
“I imagine if the best candidates in all these opposition parties could come together, they would actually be quite a threat to PAP for the next GE. Their best people could even put their heads together to offer better solutions to Singaporeans too,” wrote u/LawlessWrong, before adding, “Unfortunately such a true opposition alliance seems improbable with unsettled differences or unchecked egos in some of the smaller opposition parties.”
One Reddit user who weighed in said a united opposition might harm rather than help The Workers’ Party.
“If you’re lumping WP with the others, it’s detrimental for WP, all the excess baggage and no benefits. If you say strategic alliance with a specific oppo party maybe WP-PSP, that could be beneficial in winning more GRCs.”
“WP won’t work with anyone because they don’t need to and they made it very clear,” another wrote.
One chimed in, “Lol no way WP will join forces with the other opposition. They are miles apart in standards.”
Another pointed out, “No. Because they are different parties for a reason. Lump hem all together and all they will ever be as an alliance is “we are not PAP”. And no way am I gonna ever vote for candidates whose only redeeming quality is that they aren’t PAP.” /TISG
Kenneth Jeyaretnam and Lim Tean to lead People’s Alliance for next Singapore General Election